Family Affair (aka: Choices 07)
by Mystic25
Summary: THIS IS "CHOICES 7" Edit/upload chapters function hasn't come back on line..so I decided to post this now..screw waitin' SUMMARY: Max and her sibs get together in planned and unplanned meetings, and Logan gets a vistor..this will all tie in together as th


TITLE: Choices 07-"Family Affair"   
AUTHOR: Mystic25   
EMAIL: yellowrubberduck31@hotmail.com   
DISTRIBUTION: Archive, just keep my info the same   
  
GENRES: Story/Romance/Angst   
RELATIONSHIPS: Max/Logan married   
CONTENT: violence, bad language, and references to Zack's nuts..you'll get it   
when you read it.   
KEYWORDS: Alternate Universe   
RATING: PG   
  
SPOILERS: Anything up to "Designate This" except for the whole Tinga death thing, and   
Max's Manticore capture. But I'm keeping some season two characters, just because.   
  
SUMMARY: Max and her sibs get together in planned and unplanned meetings, and   
Logan gets a visitor. All this will tie together to help them deal with the   
events of the day.   
  
DISCLAIMER: Okay you know who ISN'T mine, but I claim right to Alexis, Jesse,   
and anyone else I decide to make up. The others are property of Cameron/Eglee   
and Fox. Suing me would only give you a student loan debt plus about fifty cents.   
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks to people suggesting I do more with the "kids"   
Also in this world the whole virus thang in "Designate This" didn't happen.   
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE #2: Tried to get Asha into this, just as a visitor droppin' by..wanted to   
see how it would swing in my Dark Angel Universe. She's part of season two, for everyone   
who isn't in the US. I didn't reference any spoliers to the season to keep from ruining   
the show for the international guys.   
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE #3:Figured since Max has a love for bikes, her family should to so, a side   
note to the bikes mentioned:   
MAX'S- a black and gray Kawasaki Ninja 650   
JONDY'S- a purple and black Honda 750 Shadow Spirit   
ZACK'S- an all black Kawasaki Vulcan 800 Drifter   
  
*****   
  
Jam Pony   
  
"Aunt Tin!" Jess raced ahead of his mother, making a b-line for Tinga.   
  
"Hey kiddo!" Tinga smiled, scooping up her enthusiastic nephew. "Wow, you   
are getting strong." She hugged him, and the little boy pulled back with   
a huge grin "Me strong!"   
  
This made Tinga laugh, "You sure are baby," she cast a glance upward at Max,   
who stood beside the stroller of three-month-old Alexis. "This guy's gettin'   
muscles hun."   
  
"Don't I know it." Max answered back. She looked over at her son "Just don't   
kill auntie baby."   
  
Jess just laughed at the idea, as Tinga put him down again. He immediately   
looked over at Case who was standing beside his mom.   
  
"Hi!" Jess piped out   
  
"Hi." Case returned with a smile at his younger cousin, before turning to Max. "Aunt Max?"   
  
"Yeah sweetie?" Max called out.   
  
"This place smells." he said, sniffing the air, and pinching his nose closed   
with his fingers.   
  
Max couldn't help the laugh that came to her. "I know. It kinda does." she shot a glance over at Normal behind his desk with his little bottle of disinfectant.   
  
"You have good perception," she added to her nephew, remembering his accute genetic makeup. She walked over to him and knelt at his level. "But keep it under your hat." she placed her black baseball cap on his head.   
  
A piercing cry cut through the air, as Lexi woke up from her nap. Max stood back up and walked over to the baby. "What's the matter babe, you hungry already?" she picked up her wailing daughter, checking her watch "Yep three o' clock, right on the money." She headed over to some benches, and lifted up her blue sweater.   
  
"Hey, does this look like a triple X movie to you?" Normal called out.   
  
"I gotta feed her." Max retorted, "If ya don't wanna see it, don't watch."   
She removed one side of her bra and held Lexi up so she could eat.   
  
"Next sucking sessions on me." someone called out.   
  
Max looked over to see Kenny ogling her exposed skin. She shot him a death   
glare, and watched as Tinga grabbed him by the shirt.   
  
"Ya got an extreme wish for me to lay you out for leering at my baby sister?"   
  
"I just like her boom." he informed.   
  
"Ya mean Ka-boom." Tinga kneed him in his nuts, and left him grabbing at   
himself.   
  
"Is my rough housing rule not known?" Normal called out.   
  
"Pretty much." Max answered back.   
  
"She sho' protects ya boo." Cindy informed, beside her.   
  
"It's that whole older sibling thing." Max responded. "I was one of the   
youngest, so everyone had my back." she cradled the now sated Lexi in   
the crook of one arm. "Can you hook me back up girl?"   
  
"Sure suga." Cindy responded, reaching around and re-doing the clasps   
to Max's cream colored bra. "Kenny's a wanna be playa that just got his   
smack down."   
  
"Tinga does good work." Max agreed, pulling her sweater back over her   
body. She looked at her daughter "I'm gonna teach you how to do that later   
hun."   
  
Cindy smiled and touched the baby's head "That's right lil boo. Mama here   
will give ya the skills to lay smack downs 24/7."   
  
Max smiled back and stood up. "Ya missed the show Sketch." she called out   
to her friend who was walking by. "I just let it all hang out."   
  
Sketchy stopped dead in his tracks. "Really? Any chance of it happening again?" he   
sounded way to over eager.   
  
"Boy." Cindy warned, "Don't even go there." she rolled her eyes as he walked away.   
"This is why I'm a woman's woman." she informed Alexis.   
  
Max laid the baby back down in her stroller, and wheeled over to Tinga.   
  
"I want my cackers mommee." Jess gripped her leg, tugging at her jeans.   
  
"Guess it's snack time." she pulled out a bag of animal crackers Logan   
had shoved in Lexi's supply bag. "Here hun," she handed him one.   
  
"Tiger." Jess announced, shoving it into his mouth.   
  
"Here comes trouble." Tinga's proclamation, made Max look up at the face   
of Syl walking thorough the entrance.   
  
"I'm not programmed for trouble sis." Syl pointed out teasingly.   
  
"Of course not, it has to be learned." Tinga shot back.   
  
"Gotta love that greeting." Syl hugged Tinga, and then Case. "I'm   
not trouble am I Case?"   
  
Case shrugged "Don't know."   
  
Syl looked over to her other sibling "Maxie, help me out here."   
  
"Rock and a hard place girl." Max informed.   
  
"Thanks for the help little sister." Syl quipped, hugging her next.   
  
"Anytime." Max returned, hugging her back tightly. The last time she had   
seen Syl was right after Lexi was born three months ago. Tinga lived only   
ten miles away, but Syl moved around to avoid the Manticore hit squad.   
  
Syl eventually pulled back and looked at her niece and nephew. "My God,   
you guys are so big."   
  
"Aminal cacker aundie Sil?" Jess held out a part of his half eaten cracker.   
  
"That's alright little man." she held out her arms "Just give me a hug."   
  
Jesse happily launched himself in her arms. Syl kissed him on the head "You   
are growing boy."   
  
Jess fingered the red bandana Syl wore over her long blonde hair. She kept   
it down to cover her barcode. Her white long sleeve cotton shirt peaked out   
of the open brown suede jacket.   
  
Syl looked over at Alexis "She's changed so much since last time."   
She touched the small bits of chocolate brown hair covering her head.   
"Hey precious, you are so beautiful." she stood back up, and set Jess   
down, brushing some stray dirt off her jeans.   
  
The revving of a motor cycle was heard as someone pulled up to Jam Pony.   
  
"Why do these kind of people feel the need to hang around my place of   
business?" Normal complained, watching the rider dismount from the purple   
Honda 750.   
  
A black helmet was removed from the rider's head, revealing long brown curls,   
and deep blue eyes. The woman pulled out a long chain and hooked it around the bike and the rest to a pole, locking it with a tempered steel double bolt. Jondy turned at the look her siblings gave her. "What? I like this ride okay?"   
  
"Didn't say anything." Max argued "Just get the hell over here." she walked   
over, and met Jondy half way in a hug. The bond between Max and her siblings   
was strong, but her and Jondy were what could be considered Manticore twins.   
  
"How long has it been girl?" Jondy asked.   
  
"Too long." Max answered pulling back. She picked up Jess "Give your aunt a hug."   
  
Jess propelled himself into Jondy's arms "Autie!"   
  
Jondy held the little boy closer "Hey Jess."   
  
"Want?" Jesse held out his hand showing two broken animal crackers.   
  
Jondy shook her head "No thanks babe, you eat them."   
  
Jess looked at the crackers, and back up to Jondy "What is?" there was half   
a lion and a rat in his small hand.   
  
"It's called a "Chimera" hun." Jondy answered "A bunch of different animals   
put together." She looked around at her other siblings, setting her nephew   
down. She did a glance around the room "So this is where ya work Maxie?"   
  
"More or less." Max answered back   
  
"Max, I gave you the afternoon off so you could GO somewhere, not loiter."   
Normal interrupted.   
  
"See what you mean." Jondy went on. "I'm surprised Zack didn't kill that   
guy when he did time here."   
  
"Came awful close a few times." Max pointed out.   
  
"So all of you are related to Max how?" Sketchy asked as he approached them.   
  
"We're sisters." Jondy pointed out.   
  
"Guessin' your family didn't hear of birth control." he stated to Max.   
  
"Only the "control" part." Jondy muttered under her breath. "yeah good ol'   
"dad" liked to spice things up whenever he could."   
  
Syl rolled her eyes at her little sis. "If we plan to do this thang, we gotta   
get rollin'."   
  
"Transportation decisions?" Tinga asked.   
  
"I got my Impala." Max pointed "Syl has her Corrverre, Jondy's got that   
sweet lil number. I say that's enough." Max subtly hinted that it'd be wise   
if they split up, instead of car pooling, in case someone had the notion that   
today was a good day to go Manticore fugitive hunting.   
  
"Think I'll leave my sweetheart here sis." Jondy stated "There should be enough room in your ride, it'll save gas." she caught her sister's unspoken worry, and wanted to put her mind at ease.   
  
"Of course." Max agreed "There's always a spot in my ride for my sibs."   
  
  
*****   
  
Ten minuites later the Manticore sisters wrapped their heads around whom was riding with whom. Max and Jondy were playin' catch up in Max's Impala with Jess and Lexi buckled in the backseat. Behind them Syl let Case 'steer' a little with the wheel of her Corverre.   
  
"Good job Case, you can really gun a set of wheels." she kept her larger hands on the wheel next to her nephew's to keep the car going straight.   
  
Case smiled widely "I'm driving momma."   
  
Tinga ruffled her sons hair with her hand "Your good at it too baby."   
  
Case laughed and made car sounds, honking the horn in short beats.   
  
Max honked back to him, and laughed when he returned the gesture esthetically.   
  
"Big sister's got a little road warrior on her hands." Jondy proclaimed "Can't wait to see him in his first ride."   
  
"It'd be a day to remember." Max agreed.   
  
The broken skyline gave way to a bright green grassy area. Some old playground equipment was scattered around the grass, it was as close to a park as the post-Pulse world would get.   
  
Max pulled the car around to the curb and parked it. She had only been here once before, with that rat bastard Bruno Anselmo.   
  
"Looks like the hills back at Manticore." Jondy whispered to Max, looking at all the children playing, and the observing parents "That is if Manticore suddenly grew a heart and a 'We Care' industry."   
  
"PLAY!" Jess cried esthetically, squirming in his car seat, with both eager brown eyes locked on the area.   
  
Max laughed lightly at her over eager little boy "Hang on for one second baby." She climbed out of the driver's seat and opened the back door "Momma's gonna get you unhooked so you can play your little heart out." she unbuckled the straps on his car seat, while Jondy unhooked Lexi from her baby seat.   
  
After Jess was free he practically leaped out of the car, making a run for it.   
  
"Whoa there speed racer." Max caught her son by his legs, flipping him upside down and right side up. She stood up with him in her arms "You gotta wait for your old mom and aunts, kay? there's plenty of time to play."   
  
"PLAY!" Jess cried out again, opening his arms like an airplane.   
  
"Is the stroller back here hun?" Jondy called out hunched over, peering into the trunk   
of Max's car.   
  
"Should be." Max answered back walking over to her.   
  
"Wanto go mommee." Jess stated in her arms, trying to break free.   
  
"In a second babe." Max reassured her son "We gotta mobilize your lil sister."   
  
"You can turn him loose baby sister." Tinga called out from behind them. She was standing a few feet away from them with Case holding her right hand, and Syl on her left side "We're heading over."   
  
"'Kay!" Max answered back. She looked at Jess "Wanna go swing with aunt Tinga?"   
  
Jess bobbed his head up and down excitedly.   
  
"Aiight." Max smiled "Momma's gonna be there in a min." she touched her forehead to his "Gimme a kiss."   
  
Jess planted a big wet kiss on her nose. Max set him down "Hold Auntie's hand kay?" she ordered gently, watching him bound across the grass to Tinga. Her older sister held out her left hand, and Jess took it with a smile.   
  
Assured that her son was in safe hands, Max turned her attention back to hunting   
for the stroller "Bingo!" she exclaimed, unearthing the collapsed piece of baby necessity from under a few flares, and socket wrenches. She unfolded it and set it on the ground.   
  
Jondy carefully placed Alexis down into the soft lining "You're riding in high style sweetie." she tickled Lexi's stomach and she giggled, spitting in the process.   
  
Max wiped off her daughter's' chin "You got her to dribble sis, that's her highest form of compliment." She shut the trunk, locked her doors with the automatic lock, and wheeled the stroller over to the 'park' in search of Tinga and Syl.   
  
She and Jondy found them a few seconds later over at a jungle gym. Tinga was helping Jess hang by his legs.   
  
"Brings back memories huh?" Syl pointed out to her two approaching little sisters.   
  
"Yeah." Max agreed "But with all that blood that rushed to my head, I can't remember them to well." she smiled at her son who was looking at her from his perch.   
  
"World's different upside down huh babe?"   
  
Jess laughed, "mommee looks funny."   
  
Max twisted her head around so that she was looking at things from his angle.   
"Mommy looks funny huh? but how 'bout you?" she tickled his stomach "Lookin' like a bat." she flipped herself over, and hung her legs on the same bar as Jess "Do I look funny now sweetie?" she pulled him to her chest.   
  
"Like me!" Jess squealed.   
  
"Yeah, like you. I kinda like it like this." her hair hung off her head as she looked at him upside down "But I can show you a neat trick on getting down, hold on to me." she wrapped on arm around her son and expertly back flipped onto the ground.   
  
Jess loved it, and giggling. "Coo' huh?" Max grinned.   
  
"Coo mommee." he returned "flyeee."   
  
"Show off." Jondy quipped at Max's maneuver.   
  
Max playfully stuck her tongue out at her, like they use to do when they were   
five. "Just jealously." she teased lightly.   
  
"Tinga!" Jondy whined, going for a mock complaint "Maxie's bein' a hard ass."   
  
"She can't help it Jondy." Tinga replied, "The youngest one is always like that." she burst out laughing. "We sound like when we were kids."   
  
Max smiled in memory. All those training missions, they were meant to be taken seriously, but even hyped up solider children were prone to mischief.   
/"You sure CO doesn't stand for Cop Out?" Zane whispered to Zack, making Max   
and Jondy laughs quietly. "What smells so nasty?" Tinga complained, holding her nose. "Krit, didn't I tell you about that?" Jondy teased. "Kiss my genetic cocktail Jondy." Krit hissed back playfully. "You're nasty Krit." Maxie complained, "That must be why you stink sooo bad." she and Jondy exchanged amused glances. "Score one for baby Maxie" Zane stated proudly "QUIET!" Zack barked, "The objective is up ahead."/   
  
"Yeah." Jondy agreed with Tinga, "Don't be a baby Maxie."   
  
"Kiss my hard ass Jondy." Max returned, mirth evident in her voice.   
  
"Okay guys." Syl broke in "Enough of the vulgar language, remember there   
are kids here." she used a reproachful tone, catching her two baby sisters   
with their dirty hands in the cookie jar, symbolically at least.   
  
Max adapted a guilty look on her face. She turned to her son, who she was still holding "Mommy needs to watch her mouth huh?"   
  
Jess shook his head "Bad talkee mommee." he placed one small index finger to   
her lips "Shh."   
  
Max nodded, putting her own finger to her lips "Shh." She kissed him before   
setting him down.   
  
"Want to swing Jesse?" Case's small voice asked his cousin.   
  
Jess just smiled happily, shaking his head 'yes'   
  
Case looked over at Tinga "Can we momma?"   
  
"Okay baby, just stay where we can see you." Tinga answered back.   
  
Case took Jesse's hand "C'mon, it'll be fun."   
  
Jess started pulling Case along to the swing set, his stride breaking into   
a run.   
  
"Your gonna stretch his arm out by doin' that babe." Max called out "Don't   
go so fast."   
  
"Hold his hand until you get there Case." Tinga stated next.   
  
Syl couldn't help the smile that came to her face watching the two little   
boys making a b-line for rusted swings. "They are so cute together."   
  
"They are." Jondy agreed, observing her nephews taking turns pushing each   
other on the swings.   
  
The sisters all opted to sit on a rock formation in the middle of the park.   
The structure was about twenty feet at its highest point, making a   
good vantage spot to watch the kids.   
  
"Ya know if all those parents on those benches sat here, they could   
keep a much better eye on their children." Jondy pointed, brushing some   
hair out of her face.   
  
"Most people don't like places this high sis." Max argued, shifting Lexi's   
car seat closer to her.   
  
"Their loss." Syl shrugged "Altitude's great."   
  
"So says the girls with the mountain goat DNA." Tinga stated, still keeping   
her eyes on Case. She watched him climbing on the bars of the swing set. "Easy   
baby, be careful." she whispered to herself.   
  
Like their mothers, the boys had a natural tendency to want to climb things.   
"It's neat up here!" Case exclaimed.   
  
Jess, feeling kinda left out, started pulling on Case's pants. "Me! Me!"   
  
"Watch it babe." Max muttered to herself "he's gonna fall." "Don't do that   
sweetie." Max called out in a loud voice "You'll make him hurt himself."   
  
Jess obediently let go of Case's pant leg "Flyee!" he shouted.   
  
"Have to watch them a lot at this age." Tinga stated to her two sisters   
who didn't have kids. "They just love bein' active."   
  
"Don't care 'bout the consequences neither." Max threw in "Two little normal   
boys are a handful, but two with some revved up DNA, keeps those alert skills   
in shape." she watched as Jess fell in the sand, her body going on full alert,   
but he just picked himself up with a laugh. Max let out a breath, glad of   
her son's rebound ability.   
  
*****   
  
Foggle Towers   
  
Logan stretched the crick out of his neck. Five hours spent working on the next Eyes Only report left him sore. He checked his watch. /Damn it's past three./   
  
A rustling noise behind him made him turn. Kaja had crept into the room, and sat down at the threshold.   
  
"Come on in girl." Logan called out, patting his leg.   
  
The German Shepherd padded over to him, and laid her head on his thigh.   
  
"Tryin' to tell me something huh?" Logan stated, scratching her head "Maybe   
lunch?" Kaja's ears pricked up, and she licked his arm.   
  
"Why is it all females love me when I give them food?" Logan asked himself.   
He pushed himself up out of the chair "Okay, you win." he informed the dog.   
"I'm getting hungry anyway."   
  
Kaja wagged her tail, bounding ahead of Logan. She sat down in the kitchen and waited to be fed. He poured some kibble into her large metal bowl, and she pounced on it.   
  
"You're welcome" Logan stated, putting the kibble back in the pantry, and setting to work on fixing his own food.   
  
Kaja soon finished eating, and licked the bottom of the empty bowl, making is slide across the kitchen floor.   
  
"Sorry girl." Logan apologized, watching her look at him with a pitiful gaze.   
"No more until later." he finished his food, and started to clear away the dishes.   
  
Kaja suddenly sat up from her laying position, and pricked her ears up.   
  
"What?" Logan asked, drying his hands on a dish rag.   
  
Kaja began growling in the back of her throat, her body becoming tense.   
  
Logan approached the dog "What's going on?" he scratched the top of her head,   
but she didn't back down from her stance. Then he heard it, the sounds of foot   
steps on his floor.   
  
Kaja barked once, and sprinted in the direction of the noise. Logan followed   
her cautiously, making a move to get his .45 caliber in the computer room. The   
clicking of nails scrapped across the wooden floor, and Kaja's vicious barking   
echoed around the apartment.   
  
Logan entered his living room to find the dog cornering someone against his   
front door, ears pulled back, teeth baring, with a gun aimed at her.   
  
"Put it down." Logan called out. When the person didn't comply, Logan's   
hand closed around his pistol. He cocked the gun in the person's direction.   
"Drop it!" he ordered "Drop it, or I'll give the go ahead for my dog to rip   
your throat out!" Kaja had shown no signs of reverting back to her attack   
dog status, but the sight of a one hundred and ten pound, teeth bearing,   
enraged German Shepherd could be intimidating in its own right.   
  
The person finally listened, and pointed the barrel to the floor. "Stay there!"   
Logan ordered, approaching cautiously. He kept his aim on the person, and stood   
right beside the dog. "Slide the iron to me."   
  
"And get this thing scratched." the person finally spoke "Its to valuable of a   
piece."   
  
"Don't ask-" wait that voice, it sounded like. The woman lifted her head, and   
he was stunned "Asha, what the hell?"   
  
The blonde smiled "How's it going Logan? Although I would like a better greeting   
than being jumped and treed."   
  
Kaja still growled fiercely beside him, and sprung.   
  
"Down." Logan stated. Kaja stopped dead in her tracks, and backed off, although   
she still looked wary at Asha, she obeyed his command.   
  
"Never saw you using attack dogs Logan." Asha commented, side stepping Kaja, who   
was shooting her evil looks.   
  
"She was sort of a present." Logan replied clicking his gun on safety and setting it   
down. He looked at the woman he hadn't seen in almost four years "Why are you here?"   
  
"Icy greeting extraordinaire." Asha quipped, stepping closer to him "I got into   
town yesterday night, and decided to pay a visit." her chameleon green eyes   
looked into his.   
  
"Just like that?" Logan didn't sound convinced "A little meet and greet time   
with me."   
  
"Always with the paranoia." Asha sighed "But, yeah, no other pretense Logan.   
I wanted to see what you've been up to since we split." she looked at the   
empty couch "you mind?"   
  
"Knock yourself out." Logan said, watching her fall into the seat.   
"Want anything to drink?" he played the part of host.   
  
"Anything tainted." Asha called out.   
  
Logan returned with a bottle of Sam Adams. He handed it to her.   
  
"Appreciate it." Asha said, taking it from him, and drinking a healthy amount.   
  
Logan sat down on the coffee table, facing her "Wanna tell me why you crossed   
ten sector stops to come here?"   
  
Asha shrugged "Something to do." she shifted on the couch, pulling out something   
that she had been sitting on. A green pacifier. She gave Logan a look.   
  
He took it from her without saying anything, placing it beside him on the coffee   
table "That doesn't qualify as an answer."   
  
"It does if you're bored." Asha pointed out.   
  
"Yeah, but bored people don't tail it over a couple of states for the heck of   
it."   
  
"What's with the third degree Logan?" Asha snapped back, pulling something else   
out of the couch, a small toy car. "I'm sensing a pattern here."   
  
"They belong my kids." Logan pointed out, taking Jess's matchbox racer from her.   
  
"Since when does Logan Cale have kids?" Asha asked, dumbfounded.   
  
"A lot has changed since you last saw me Asha."   
  
"Damn straight." Asha agreed "You said that you'd never hit again if after   
Valerie."   
  
"That was years ago." Logan argued, "Things happen."   
  
"What's her name?" Asha wanted to know.   
  
"Max." Logan answered.   
  
"Max.." Asha tested out the name "Must've been someone you met after I spilt.   
What's her size?"   
  
"Thirty-six." the words cam out before he realized what he was answering "Wait,   
why the hell are you asking that?"   
  
"Just curious." Asha answered back "I wanted to see what kind of girl-"   
  
"Hey!" Logan broke in "You're entitled to have opinions about me, but don't   
make assumptions about my wife before you've even met her." his words were   
defensive.   
  
"Sorry." Asha apologized; she took another swig of her beer. "She here?"   
  
"No." Logan responded "She took the babies to spend the day with her sisters."   
  
"Didn't want to go?" Asha questioned looking at him.   
  
"I had too much work to do." Logan defended "Plus it was sorta of a girl's only   
thing."   
  
"One of those huh?" Asha stood up, beer bottle in hand. She walked over to look   
at the pictures on the shelf that stood against the north wall. "Are these your kids?"   
she picked up a large one enclosed in a cherry wood frame.   
  
"Yeah." Logan stood up from the table and approached her. Looking over her shoulder   
he pointed out who was who. "This is Jesse Trevon, he's almost seventeen months,   
that's Alexis Marie, she'll be four months in a few weeks." he looked at the photo   
of the kids on the couch. Lexi was propped up on a few cushions, and Jess had one   
arm around her, smiling a big brother smile.   
  
"Bet I know where you keep your best one of these." Asha stated putting   
down the picture "By the way, cute kids."   
  
"Thanks" Logan replied, following her into his office.   
  
Asha headed over to his computer desk "I was right." she grabbed the photo by his   
desk in the silver toned frame "Knew you'd keep this one in here," she examined   
the photo. "So this is your honey."   
  
"Yeah, that's Max." Logan agreed.   
  
The photo Asha was looking at was one of Max straddling her Ninja, wearing black leather   
pants, her leather jacket, and a blue tank. Logan sat behind her in a gray, long sleeved   
shirt, and black jeans. Both arms were wrapped over hers, and his hands were gripping   
her leather gloved ones. She was leaning slightly into his chest, and was flashing   
a rare, full smile.   
  
"Gotta admit, she looks good Logan." Asha noted in compliment "That Kawasaki looks   
nice too."   
  
"Its Max's" Logan responded, "It was her first baby."   
  
"Sweet." Asha set the picture back down.   
  
"Am I done being status checked?" Logan asked straight out. "I mean a guy   
expects a certain toned down level of the third degree in his own home as   
opposed to out on the streets."   
  
"You'd think." Asha replied "But I don't do other people's expectations."   
  
"Tell me something I don't know." Logan shot back.   
  
"That'd be the day-"   
  
"When Eyes Only sells himself to the Mob." Logan finished for her. This   
remark seemed vaguely familiar.   
  
Asha gave a dry laugh "You remember Teeno."   
  
"I remember Teeno." Logan repeated, "I also recall that he dropped fifty large   
on your head to have you eliminated." Visions of the burley, gang banger with   
a hit list longer then most Mafia orginazations, flashed across his mind.   
  
"Ancient history." Asha responded "Arranged a pick up of the green with a   
connection inside Teeno's operation, for 'finding' me. Three a.m. I show   
up, Teeno catches a glimpse of the prize before my guy puts the drop on him,   
and presto! one less rat to worry about."   
  
"And then you decided to come to Seattle for a vacation?" Logan asked, leaning   
against his desk.   
  
"Is that so hard to believe?" Asha asked defensively. "Even the under grounders   
need a little time off. Wanted to see what was swinging with you since we   
last saw each other, and apparently there's a LOT."   
  
"Well life moves on." Logan pointed out.   
  
"I know the song, "To everything, turn, turn, turn there is a season, *turn, turn, turn*"   
she began walking out of the computer room "Think your wife would mind if I raided the fridge? Haven't eaten since yesterday."   
  
"Just don't knock on her private stash." Logan replied, following her out.   
/This is an interesting twist of events./   
  
*****   
  
Lexi giggled away in the baby swing, while Jondy and Max took turns pushing   
her from both sides.   
  
"You're soaring kiddo." Jondy said to the smiling infant, giving her another   
push.   
  
Max pushed the swing back "How about that? Instant auto reverse" Lexi kept   
smiling. Max kissed her nose before the next push. "Fun, huh baby?"   
  
"Good for toning muscles too." Jondy added "For us at least." she looked at her niece   
"I can help you get rid of that baby fat later hun." She scrunched up her   
nose for a minute "Whew, but maybe Momma Maxie can get rid of that *smell* now."   
  
Max slowed down the swing "Got a little to over excited Lexi?" she picked   
up the baby "C'mon. Aunt Jondy's never had to disable this kind of 'bomb' before."   
  
She took the baby into the bathroom compound to change her. While she snapping   
on the extra diaper, an woman approached her. "She's such a cutie pie."   
  
"Yeah." Max agreed with the older woman "I have a looker."   
  
"You're right about that." the woman went on. She touched the baby's head   
"You are a doll." she smiled at Max before leaving.   
  
"Got myself a crowd attracter." Max said to her daughter with mock reproachfullness.   
She picked up the freshly diapered Lexi "But I guess that runs in the family."   
  
Max headed back out with the baby, stepping back on to the grass.   
  
"Crises averted." Jondy called out from over where Lexi's stroller was.   
  
"Guess this one was too much for you to handle sis." Max approached her,   
setting the baby back down in the stroller.   
  
Jondy shrugged "Even I have my limits."   
  
"Whoa, Jondy admits she has limits." Syl chimed in "There ARE higher powers   
at work here guys."   
  
"Yeah, yeah Syl, I think I just heard hell freezing over." Jondy stated   
sarcastically.   
  
"Didn't think Manticore could get that cold." Max quipped.   
  
This made Jondy laugh "Got me their sis." she looked over her shoulder   
at her two little nephews now on the large plastic climbing structure in   
the center of the park. "Careful guys, that's kinda high."   
  
"'Kay Auntie!" Case called out, running across the little bridge on the   
structure, with Jesse right behind him.   
  
Max glanced at her watch "Almost forgot to call Logan."   
  
"Check in time with your man little sister?" Syl asked.   
  
"Not 'check in time' He isn't my boss" Max argued back "Told him I'd ring   
him a few hours after I left this morning." she dialed home on her cell,   
and placed the phone to her ear.   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
"How goes the working in the parallel process and multitask trenches?"   
  
Logan smiled from his end "Pretty good, I'm just takin' a break."   
  
"Glad to here it." Max replied, "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome's a bitch."   
  
"I'll keep that in mind."   
  
Max could hear noise in the background "Who else is there Logan?"   
  
Asha being there wasn't bad, but Logan still felt like she had 'caught' him.   
"A friend of mine dropped by after you left Max."   
  
"A friend, or someone who owes you?"   
  
"She hasn't owed me anything in years, baby." Logan replied.   
  
"SHE?" Max's voice was slightly shocked.   
  
"Yes SHE Max." Logan repeated "Name's Asha Moore. Did some work for me back   
about four years ago."   
  
"Why is she there now?" Max wanted to know "Got another mission objective?"   
she was trying to keep the "woman better not be puttin' the moves on my man"   
tone down, but it was still evident in her voice.   
  
"Actually she just dropped in on me unexpectedly, from Oregon" Logan responded,   
looking over at Asha sitting at the dining table.   
  
"That far just for some chill time?" Max sounded about as convinced as Logan   
did when Asha had told him the first time.   
  
"Can we talk about this later?" Logan broke in. He really didn't feel like   
talking about Asha like she wasn't right in the room.   
  
"You make it sound like I'm mad baby." Max stated "I'm coo with it, don't   
have a need to be jealous."   
  
"Never said that sweetheart." Logan returned.   
  
"Jealous? What's this I'm hearin'?" Syl broke in snatching the phone from Max   
"You got a reason for Maxie to be jealous Logan? Cuz ya know I'm good for gettin'   
your ass laid."   
  
"Hey Syl, so nice to hear from you too." Logan replied. Seeing Asha give him a   
look, he covered the mouthpiece "My sister-in-law." he told her.   
  
"Enough of the formality Logan, I'm just lookin' out for my little sis."   
  
Logan turned slightly away from Asha, facing the kitchen "You can tone down   
the Manticore defenses, I'm not cheating on my wife."   
  
"I'm just checking boy." Syl informed "Anyone who breaks my sister's heart, gets   
broken."   
  
"Got it." Logan replied "Can you put Max back on?"   
  
"'Kay, bye Logan." Syl said with a smile.   
  
"Bye Syl." Logan replied /How can I possibly play anyone on the side with   
a wife who has brothers and sisters who would drop kick my ass into the next   
millennium for even thinking it?/   
  
Max took the phone from her sister "I'm back."   
  
"Always nice to know where I stand with your sibs." Logan stated.   
  
"She's just givin' ya a warning baby." Max reassured "Anyways, if you were   
a playa playa, this girl'd kick yo' ass before any other member of my family."   
  
"Pass that along to Zack the next time you run into him."   
  
Max smiled "Consider it done."   
  
"So," Logan went in another direction "The kids enjoying themselves?"   
  
"Oh yeah." Max agreed, "As much as I enjoy chasing them. I'll tell ya,   
escape and evade has never been this much fun before."   
  
Logan laughed quietly in the back of his throat at her sarcasm. "Jess   
is at that age baby."   
  
"Tell me about it." Max concurred. She glanced over at the plastic   
climbing equipment in the center of the park. Jess was in the little   
'tower' of the fort, and Case was down below. "Think I've made him   
love heights. He's been in this fort thang for almost half an   
hour."   
  
"Defiantly a trait inherited by you." Logan stated.   
  
"You're getting better." Max objected "A few more trips to the Needle,   
and who knows?" she looked up to see rocks being thrown at the fort   
"Hey!" Max called out to two teenage boys, with stones in their hands   
"Does this look like a lake?"   
  
"We're just bored." one of them argued. He picked up a rock from the dirt, staining   
his jean jacket sleeve's cuff in brown, and chucked one against a metal slide   
  
"Drop it, or I drop it for you." Max ordered in warning, one of the stones had   
come awfully close to hitting Case.   
  
The boy just snickered at her.   
  
"Max, is something wrong?" Logan asked, hearing her demands on the other end.   
  
"Just some punks looking for a good rile, and not knowing about my zero tolerance   
standard." she informed.   
  
The same boy that Max had yelled at picked up another large stone. He threw it   
at a weakened structural leg of the fort. It cracked through the rusted metal,   
breaking it in half, and the fort collapsed onto the grass.   
  
Max turned at the sound, unaware at first of what she heard. But as soon her   
eyes saw the heaped bits of metal and wood, her heart stopped. "JESSE!"   
  
"Max, what's the matter?" Logan heard her scream.   
  
"CASE! OH MY GOD!" Tinga cried. She sprinted over to the fallen playground equipment.   
  
"JESS!" Max called out again, breaking into a run.   
  
"MAX! WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON?" Logan stood up, nearly tipping the chair over.   
  
Max was to busy scanning the mess to answer Logan. "Jess! Can you hear me baby?"   
She circled the debris "Jesse!"   
  
"Case, it's mama, talk to me sweetheart!" Tinga demanded.   
  
"What happened?" Syl demanded, joining her sisters.   
  
"It was an accident!" The boy who threw the stone reconciled "It was just   
one rock-"   
  
Max pounced on him, gripping him by the collar "It was still enough to bring   
this thing down. And now my baby's trapped somewhere under there. Ya got all   
your ya ya's out now kid?!?" she spat the words in his face.   
  
"Mommeee." Jesse's choked voice reached her ears.   
  
"Jess!" Max dropped the kid in a heap on the grass. She came around to the   
front of the mess, where she heard the noise "Can you hear me hun?" she repeated   
again.   
  
Jesse just started to cry louder.   
  
"Hang tight baby." Max soothed to her son "Mama's gonna get you out."   
  
"I see Case!" Jondy called out peering over the left of the fallen structure.   
  
"Is he okay?" Tinga demanded, coming over.   
  
"Can't tell." Syl finished, laying low on the grass "Jess is right next to   
him" she peered at the two little boys laying next to each other. "Case,   
can you talk to me buddy?"   
  
"Aunt Syl?" Case's voice was like music to Syl's ears.   
  
"Where do you hurt hun?" Syl asked, trying to keep her voice calm, so as   
not to scare him.   
  
"My knees have boo boos." Case's voice was quivering. "Mama.."   
  
"I'm here baby." Tinga reassured her son "I'm right here. Is Jess   
okay?"   
  
"He's gots blood on his knees too. I hurt." Case began to cry.   
  
"It's okay Case." Max tried to soothe her nephew. But her nerves were   
also frayed. Jess kept crying in the background. "Jesse, baby it's okay,   
you'll be okay, just hang tight."   
  
None of them noticed a lone figure walking along the curved path of the   
park. Families enjoying each other's company, no need for hiding, life   
along a different path. To Zack it was all superficial, but it was amusing   
to watch. Commotion up ahead of him made him tunnel his vision. A crowd   
was gathering around something fallen-he could make out a woman's figure-   
it was Max.   
  
"I can't see much from this angle." Jondy called out "They're both sort   
of on top of each other." she looked over at Tinga.   
  
Someone was shoving their way through the crowd that had accumulated.   
  
"What's going on?"   
  
Max looked up, surprised to see her brother "Zack, what the hell are   
you doing here?"   
  
"Was gonna ask you the same question." Zack replied.   
  
"I live here." Max pointed out "But right now I'm trying to get my son   
out." she peered angrily through the metal.   
  
Zack touched her shoulder "How did it happen?"   
  
"Some shit threw a rock at this thing, and the mess imploded." Max responded.   
  
"Case is under here too Zack." Tinga informed "He and Jess have been pinned   
for about five minutes."   
  
"Okay, on the count of three me and Syl are going to lift this roof up." Zack   
began to give out orders "Jondy stay under and catch any loose beams before   
they hit the ground. Max and Tinga, when this shit's up high enough you grab   
your kids and bring'em out."   
  
"Got it bro." Syl agreed moving into position, standing at the other end of the   
fallen playground roof.   
  
Jondy stood in the middle waiting, and Tinga and Max moved as close to   
where the kids were as they could get.   
  
"Let's do this," Zack gripped the roof's end "On three, one, two three." he   
and Syl picked up the roof.   
  
Jondy cleared away the rubble from where Case and Jess were at. "Get'em   
outta there guys!"   
  
A few seconds later Max and Tinga had pulled the boys out of the rubble and   
onto the lawn.   
  
"Its okay Jess." Max soothed, cleaning up the blood she saw on his face and   
neck. She checked around for its source, noting a few scrapes on his face.   
  
"Big boom momma." Case cried as Tinga examined his cuts and scrapes   
  
"It's okay now baby." Tinga soothed "Mama's here."   
  
Max lifted her head when she heard a familiar cry "I gotta grab Lexi."   
she looked to Zack "Watch him." it wasn't a request.   
  
"I got it Maxie." he let her know.   
  
Max rushed over and picked up her daughter "Shh, hun, it's okay."   
all thought she knew it wasn't.   
  
Zack wiped blood off his nephew.   
  
"Unky.." Jesse called out, looking at him.   
  
"Hey kid." Zack answered back, gazing into the eyes that were a dead match   
for his little sisters. "Got in a little bit of a scrape huh?"   
  
"Booboos." Jess whimpered.   
  
Zack looked up, and saw a teenage boy hanging back from the crowd. "Were   
you the shit that did this?" he walked over to him, gripping him by his   
neck "Are you aware that actions come with consequences asshole?" he got   
up in his face. "ARE YOU?! You picked the wrong family to mess with kid!"   
  
"Zack, let him go!" Max demanded, snagging his shoulder "I already did that."   
  
Zack released the kid with venomous movements, but only because a Manticore solider   
kicking a civilian's ass would be something these people had never seen before.   
He followed Max back over to Jesse.   
  
Max gave Lexi to Jondy, and knelt down next to her son "Where are your boo boos   
sweetie?" she wiped off some more blood from the cuts on his knees.   
  
"Hurtee." was all Jess said with a cry.   
  
"Shh." Max petted his brown hair "I know it hurts baby, it'll be fine. Mommy's   
right here."   
  
Her cell phone rang, and she almost didn't answer it again, but then she realized   
that it was probably Logan. "Hey baby."   
  
"What happened?" Logan cut to the chase, skipping the greeting.   
  
"Jess and Case had an accident." Max answered back   
  
"What kind of accident?" Logan asked, his heart rate tripling, he looked over again   
at Asha, who now sat on the couch, eavesdropping.   
  
"That damn kid knocked down the tree fort they were playing in-"   
  
Zack snatched the phone from Max "Cale, where the hell are you?"   
  
"Zack?" Logan sounded as surprised to hear from him as Max had. "Why are you in Seattle?"   
  
"Like I need your approval." Zack returned, being cocky "Right now you need to   
get your ass down here for this kid of yours."   
  
"How bad is it?" Logan wanted to know.   
  
"Never mind that, just get here-"   
  
Max took the phone back from Zack "We're at that same park where Anlselmo's X   
arranged that meeting."   
  
"How bad is he hurt Max?" Logan was pulling on his jacket with his free hand.   
  
"There's a lot of blood Logan." Max's voice was scared "It's hard to tell   
where all of it's coming from." she whispered this, so Jess couldn't hear   
the extent of his injuries.   
  
"Did some call paramedics?"   
  
"I think someone in the crowd called it in on a wireless." Max answered back   
"I didn't even think about that, most of the time I fix these things mysel-"   
her words broke off near the end.   
  
"Keep it together baby." Logan ordered with gentle fierceness "He needs you   
right now. I'm heading down. I can be there in ten."   
  
"I'll tell him your coming." Max responded and added, "Just put the pedal to   
the metal." she disconnected the call, looking over at her little boy. She   
had given Lexi to Syl, who had placed her back into her stroller, after she   
calmed down. Jondy was bracing her nephews shoulders as a precaution, in case   
of backbone injury. "Daddy's coming." Max knelt next to his head.   
  
"Daddee here?" Jess's voice quivered.   
  
Max shook her head "Not yet baby, but soon." she stroked his hair "You're   
being a brave boy."   
  
"Very brave." Jondy added, holding Jess when he tried to squirm "Don't move   
to much hun, you'll make yourself hurt more." she was thankful that he was   
able to move his head, indicating minimal chance of spinal injury.   
  
Max looked over at Tinga on her phone "You get a hold of Charlie?"   
  
Tinga disconnected the call "He's on a errand, but the clerk's gonna   
give him the message ASAP."   
  
"Made sure of that huh?" Max tried to lighten the mood with humor.   
  
It got Tinga to smile "Sure did." she was holding Case's small hand in hers.   
  
"Is Jesse okay mama?" Case asked.   
  
"He will be babe." Tinga reassured, rubbing her son's arms with her hand   
"He's right over there."   
  
"Why'd we fall?" he looked at her with sad eyes.   
  
"Something made that big building thing fall hun." Tinga answered "That's   
why."   
  
While the two sisters did their best to comfort their sons, Syl and Jondy   
offered comfort to them, while Zack remained on sort of a prowl. He circled   
the scene back and forth, allowing no one to pass a certain point, forcefully   
keeping people back who tried to cross his boundary line. He had seen enough   
of bad situations being take advantage of by Manticore honing it and snagging   
up his siblings.   
  
After a few minutes, ambulance sirens could be heard in the distance. A white   
EMS vehicle pulled up to the shoulder where the road met the grass, and another   
stopped a few feet behind it.   
  
"Who the hell called the med squad?" Zack shot a glare at the medics climbing   
out of their emergency vehicles and grabbing their kits.   
  
"That's generally what people DO when someone's hurt bro," Syl stated the   
obvious.   
  
"NORMAL people Syl." Zack barked back "Regular civilians, not fugitive prototypes   
who have to avoid the limelight-"   
  
"What did you want to do Zack?" Max growled back with just as much fierceness   
"Let Jess and Case BLEED to death because it MIGHT expose their genetically   
revved up mamas?"   
  
"I'm saying-" Zack began again, but Max cut him off.   
  
"Don't say anymore fucked up shit okay big bro?" she held the hand of her injured   
son, while chewing out Zack "Until you have something flesh and blood of your own   
to worry about when their hurt, don't say one more DAMN word!"   
  
A medic dropped his kit beside Jesse on the grass "What happened here ma'am?"   
  
"He fell." Max told him, shooting another glance at Zack "Him and his cousin,   
fell out of that tree fort. It was about a fifteen foot drop."   
  
"Might have a spinal injury." the medic noted under his breath. He looked into   
Jess's eyes "Hey buddy, do you mind if I take a look at you?" he placed one latexed   
gloved hand on Jesse's collarbone.   
  
Jess started to cry "Mommeee."   
  
"I'm here sweetie." Max comforted him "He's not trying to hurt you, he just   
needs to look at you to make you better." she rubbed his arm with her hand.   
  
"You can be scared buddy." the medic told him "It's okay to be nervous at strange   
people touching you, but I won't hurt you." he glanced over at Max "Your mom's right   
here, she won't let anyone hurt you." while he talked he felt for any protrusions   
of broken bones along his neck. "You are one lucky boy." he sighed with relief, feeling   
everything in his spine in proper alignment. He looked to Max again "Doesn't look like   
he broke his neck Mrs-"   
  
"Cale." Max finished for him.   
  
"Mrs. Cale." the medic went on "We need to do a CT a Metro to double check, but   
I'm pretty sure of it."   
  
Max felt a little relief at that "Here that baby?" she kissed his nose "It's not   
that bad."   
  
"Hurtee.." Jess didn't sound all that convinced.   
  
"It'll still hurt hun." Max told him "But it'll be okay, you're strong."   
  
"Man of steel." Tinga reassured her nephew. She kissed Case "Both of you."   
  
"Max." Zack spoke again for the first time since she has hauled him out "You   
have something on your neck."   
  
Max glanced at him breifly, wondering what the hell he was talking about, but   
then saw him scratching at his own barcode, giving her the subtle hint that   
hers was showing. Quickly she brushed back some long hair over the nape of her   
neck. She grabbed at a clump of air, pretending to have trapped an insect   
in-between her fingers. "Baby roach." she said squashing the imaginary bug under   
her boot. "I hate those things."   
  
"Roachee nastee." Jess said looking at Max, she just smiled, while the medic immobilized   
his neck. He began to get scared at the white cervical collar around him "What is?"   
  
"Just a precaution." Zack knelt next Jess's head. He touched the collar "Sometimes   
when you fall, your bones get messed up, and this is to keep them from hurting you."   
  
"No more hurtee." Jess informed, looking at him.   
  
"That's why you gotta wear it Jess." Zack told him, briefly touching his nephew's   
head.   
  
"Is this your husband Mrs. Cale?" the medic asked while taping Jess's head to   
the back board.   
  
"Maxie and Zack sittin' in a tree.." Jondy sang in a sing song child's voice,   
amused by the man's suggestion. "That is how you spell i-n-c-e-s-"   
  
"Cut the crap Jondy." Zack barked, looking over at his little sister.   
  
"Bite me Zack." Jondy returned strongly.   
  
"No," Max cut in, in-between her siblings' squallering "He's my brother."   
  
"We're all sibs." Tinga pointed out, wanting to put a halt to anyone suggesting   
that she was Zack's wife. "My husband and my baby sister's are on their way."   
  
"How did this happen?" the medic working on Case asked "I mean, this playground   
equipment is old, but just doesn't fall at the drop of a hat."   
  
"More like the hurl of granite." Zack hissed between his teeth. He may not be   
one hundred percent comfortable with Logan married to his little sister, but   
his niece and nephews were still family to him, and he loved them like he did   
his siblings.   
  
Max clarified Zack's elusive statement for the paramedics "Some snot face threw   
a rock at the rusted support beam and the shit hit the ground faster then the   
Pulse."   
  
The medic looked at her seriously "Did you get a good look at the guy? He could   
get his butt hauled by the Seattle PD for this."   
  
"I'd love to haul the fucker." Zack snapped under his breath. He glanced up, and   
tunneled his vision, seeing the guilty boy heading out of the park at a fast speed   
"I'll show you what he looks like." Zack suddenly shot up from his crouched position,   
and took off in a run.   
  
"What the hell is he doin'?" Syl asked.   
  
Max zoomed in her vision, seeing Zack going after the kid "Syl, watch Jess for   
a second."   
  
"You got it hun." Syl crouched down next to Jess, as Max stood up and went after   
Zack.   
  
When the kid saw all the commotion he around Jess and Case he decided to leave before   
someone pressed charges. But he didn't get very far, Zack was on him before he had   
the chance to blink, his neck in a death lock by the hand one incredibly pissed off   
X5 solider.   
  
"Goin' somewhere shit?" Zack squeezed his neck harder "You gonna desert the mess   
you made?"   
  
"I didn't mean too," he squeaked out, gasping for breath. "Accidents happen."   
  
"Not to my family slime sucker." Zack glowered at him "You chose to be an idiot,   
and my nephews paid the price-"   
  
"Zack, let him go" Max ripped him back by his shoulder "I told you to leave it."   
  
"I'm not gonna let him walk after what he did Maxie." Zack barked back, he made   
a move to grab him again, but Max wrapped Zack's arm behind him in an elbow lock.   
  
"I said let it go."   
  
Zack matched her moves and reversed their positions "It's your son Maxie, and Tinga's,   
I can't." he released her.   
  
The kid made another move to leave, but this time Max grabbed his shirt collar,   
like a puppy by the scruff of their neck "Just because I hauled him off you don't   
make me your girlfriend ass. Don't think that I don't want to kill you myself right   
now!" she got all up in his personal space.   
  
"Max!"   
  
She turned to see Logan approaching her from his parked car a few feet away.   
  
He stepped up to her "Who's your friend?"   
  
Max blew off that remark "He's a shit, baby." she let go of his collar, and   
faced her husband "The medics are working on Jess and Case."   
  
"Bad?" Logan wanted to know.   
  
"I don't know." Max answered honestly; she walked up to him and wrapped her   
arms around his neck.   
  
Logan hugged her back strongly, kissing her briefly on her neck. He looked   
over to the other woman at his left "This is Asha, baby, my Aztec crapped out,   
so she gave me a ride."   
  
"Hey." Asha said in greeting "Sorry for the timing, I suck at first impressions."   
  
"Don't worry about it." Max replied quickly.   
  
"C'mon let's go be with him." Logan grabbed Max's hand, as they walked in great   
strides back to their injured son.   
  
"You come with me." Zack ordered to the kid, yanking him by the arm "Got some   
people I want you to meet." he pulled him along, but he resisted.   
  
"I have things to do-" he shut up when Asha suddenly cocked a six-chambered Cult   
in his face.   
  
"You heard the man." she glanced briefly at the gun "Six chambers, one's empty,   
do you wanna play a little Russian Roulette and find out which one?"   
  
This time he let Zack yank him forward "Move it out asshole." Zack barked.   
  
"Asha." she introduced to Zack, falling in step behind him.   
  
"Zack." he replied, not looking back.   
  
"Daddee! Daddee!" Jess called out and the stretcher was being wheeled to the   
ambulance.   
  
The medic stopped to let Logan grab his son's flailing hand.   
  
"Hey Jess." Logan squeezed his hand "It'll be okay." he glanced at his injuries,   
his stomach turned at the blood.   
  
"Scared dadeee."   
  
"I know son." Logan replied "But it's okay to be scared." he rubbed his hand   
with his thumb.   
  
"That's my nephew shit." Zack's voice announced shoving the kid near the   
stretcher. He shoved him around to face where Case was being loaded in the   
second ambulance "And my other one. The "fruits" of your labor" each word   
was punctuated with anger and fierceness. "Is this enough for you to get your   
damn head in the game, or do I have to elaborate on how incredibly fuckin'   
pissed off I am right now?"   
  
"Not anymore." the kid replied back.   
  
"Good." Zack barked back "Because if I EVER see your face again these size thirteen,   
military issue traction combats will kick your sorry, scrawny, white skater's ass   
off the Space Needle with enough force that the impact will be felt in China!" he   
paused for dramatic affect, and to add more fierceness to his words "Is that clear   
madam?" he used the general degrade of a boot camp instructor to a new recruit.   
  
"Yeah it is." the younger man answered back.   
  
"Correct response is "Understood Sir." Zack shot back with venom.   
  
"Sir." was all the kid was willing to give him.   
  
Zack released his arm, shoving him away, finally allowing the kid to leave.   
  
"If you want to ride with him ma'am" the medic addressed Max "we're leaving"   
  
"I'm coming" Max confirmed, she looked over at Logan, tossing him her keys   
"Unless.."   
  
"You go baby." Logan interrupted, catching her keys "I'll follow."   
  
"We tail Logan" Zack added "One of the ranks needs to put out, my Vulcan's   
got a flat"   
  
"Zack rides with me." Syl stated   
  
"I'd better take Maxie's Impala." Jondy declared "Knowing Logan, he'd   
squelch some rubber and have a burn out." she shot a look at her brother-   
in-law. "You and Lexi go with your friend." she glanced at Asha "looks like   
a chick who can handle her wheels."   
  
Asha smiled slightly at the comment "Let's go then."   
  
Zack nodded at Max "head out."   
  
"Sir yes sir." Max saluted him crisply with a small smile.   
  
("Remember what a salute means soliders." Lydeker's arms were locked   
in a position of parade rest, addressing the X5 unit "It's a sign of   
respect. And you don't back off until you're saluted back.")   
  
Zack saluted her back, snagging her arm, he kissed her chastely on the   
mouth "He's a tough kid to break Maxie, don't worry."   
  
Max kissed him back, in a sisterly fashion "I'll try and remember."   
she took the short one step to Logan "meet us in the lobby." it wasn't   
a request.   
  
"I will." he kissed her deeply.   
  
She kissed him back, hugging him tightly again for a brief moment "See   
ya in a few." they shared one more light kiss before Max climbed into   
the back of the ambulance with Jess.   
  
Several minutes later Logan was securing the baby seat in the back of   
Asha's Jeep Cherokee.   
  
"Listen I'm sorry for sending up the defenses before." Asha turned her   
head around to face him "I wasn't trying to imply anything by dropping   
in with your woman gone, I didn't know you HAD a woman, I just wanted   
to play catch up."   
  
"It's fine." Logan stated. He kissed Lexi's head before shutting the   
door. He was in the passenger seat a few seconds later. Buckling his seat   
belt he turned to her "My 'woman' would let you know if it bothered her   
straight away, and I'm use to unexpected visitations."   
  
Asha gunned the engine "I just hope the new Mrs. Cale doesn't kick my ass after   
this." she floored the accelerator, trailing the ambulance.   
  
*****   
  
Metro Hospital   
Downtown Seattle   
Emergency Trauma Center   
  
"Momeee..."   
  
"Shh, baby." Max tried to comfort her son "Their just going to look at you."   
  
"Come.." chocolate brown eyes gazed into her matching set.   
  
"I can't honey." it was one of the hardest things she had to say to him.   
"Me and daddy have to wait outside, but we'll be right here when you get back."   
  
Jesse still didn't like the idea of being seperated from her in a strange place.   
Max didn't either, being experimented on countless times as a child made her   
antsy around any medical complexes. "Please.."   
  
Max shook her head sadly "I can't babe, but I PROMISE, I'll be right here." she   
kissed him, and held his hand until her arm stretched to it's maximum length   
while they wheeled him to the ER.   
  
Logan placed a hand on her shoulder from behind. "Let's grab a seat."   
  
Max wasn't looking at him, but at Tinga, gazing at Case through the window of   
ER 2. "Hang on a sec."   
  
Tinga didn't acknowledge her as she stepped up to stand beside her. "He's   
so small Maxie." she stared out at the doctors working on her son.   
  
Max looked in, seeing Case attached to various wires and tubes, Jess the same   
way through the ER's connecting door. "Our little guys."   
  
Tinga sighed slightly, banging a lone fist into the plastic, not a full force,   
wanting to save the doctors the shock of a woman shattering glass in one blow.   
"God, how the hell did we do THAT every week?"   
  
Max thought back, to the examinations, the "check-ups" Lydeker couldn't have his   
soldiers not physically sound. All the tests, the gene therapy. "I don't remember."   
her words were honest.   
  
"We were built for it I guess." Tinga answered her own question. "But there just   
little boys." the hustle in the ERs cast images through her slight reflection   
on the Plexiglas.   
  
"We should find a seat." Max suggested. She was as reluctant to leave as Tinga,   
but just standing there watching it all unravel was driving her insane. She   
needed some distraction, or time would go slower that it already was. "Or one   
of us is gonna start calling out gene sequencing patterns, and scare the hell   
out of the ER staff."   
  
Tinga gave a half smile at Max's attempt at a joke. She put an arm around her   
sister. They headed in the direction of the waiting room.   
  
The 'family' plus Asha were already sprawled out on most of the furniture.   
  
"Shove over Commander." Tinga kicked Zack lightly with her foot to get him   
to move.   
  
Zack slid across the waiting room's leather couch, moving closer to Jondy, and   
Tinga slid in beside him. Rather then have Logan move out of the chair he was   
sitting in, Max simply sat in his lap.   
  
Logan wrapped one arm across her back, pulling her body closer to him. She in turn   
snaked on arm around his neck, and pressed her forehead to his.   
  
"Is it bad?" Asha broke the silence from the chair next to Logan's.   
  
"They don't know yet." Tinga answered honestly, playing with the cuff of her   
jacket.   
  
"Don't worry about it sis." Syl bent down slightly and hugged Tinga from behind   
the couch.   
  
Tinga squeezed Syl's hands, pulling her arms tighter around her.   
  
"Honey, there you are." Charlie's voice broke in, as he rounded the corner to   
the waiting room.   
  
Tinga leapt off the couch and ran to him.   
  
Charlie returned her hug just as strongly. "How did it happen?" he kissed her.   
  
"He fell." Tinga stated after pulling back from the kiss. "From some playground   
equipment."   
  
Charlie nodded solemnly "Do you know anything?"   
  
Tinga's eyes were sad and angry "Not yet. God I fucking hate this!"   
  
"Take it easy love." Charlie rubbed her shoulder "Just a matter of time,   
we just have to wait." he grabbed her hand "C'mon, let's join the posse."   
  
"It's "ranks" Charlie." Jondy corrected, "Military don't do posses'"   
  
"I stand corrected Jondy." Charlie reconciled, glancing behind her "Hey   
Syl, how's things?"   
  
"Up until now, good boy." she gave an honest answer.   
  
"And Craig?"   
  
"Doin' his shit." Syl answered back "Suppin' up an his Meeada. Wants   
a turbo, 360 horse power heart." she paused "Sometimes I think he loves   
that car more then me."   
  
"Kindred spirits girl." Max added lifting her head from Logan's "Or have   
you forgotten the sweet nothing's you whisper to 'Her' when you wax the   
hood?"   
  
"Like your 'mama loves you baby' thang you do to your Ninja." Syl shot   
back with a smile.   
  
"These girls and their rides." Charlie shook his head, stepping over to   
Max and Logan. "Hey Max." he kissed her cheek.   
  
"Welcome to our nightmare." she stated with a slight smile.   
  
Charlie didn't reply to that "Logan." he touched the shoulder of his brother-in-law.   
  
"Guess this wasn't what you meant, when you and Tinga suggested a 'get together'   
last week." Logan returned, repeating Charlie's gesture.   
  
Charlie smiled humorlessly "Got that right." he glanced over at Zack "Hey, how's   
shit?"   
  
"Shit's fine Charlie." Zack answered back "Just waiting on the crap that isn't."   
he kicked a chair in Charlie's direction "Knock the boots off."   
  
"Thanks." Charlie fell back into the chair Zack gave him, pulling Tinga down,   
imitating Max and Logan's position.   
  
"Now this just makes me pissed that I don't have a man." Jondy broke in.   
  
"You're not the only one." Asha added, leaning back in the chair, a jesting   
smile at Logan.   
  
"Sometimes single is good Jondy." Charlie stated rubbing Tinga's lower back, who   
now sat near the edge of his knee.   
  
"Was for me." Max teased, sitting in-between Logan's outstretched legs.   
  
"So nice to know." Logan broke in, squeezing her in a tight hold.   
  
"That's why I said it." she jested back, rubbing his legs through his dark   
khaki pants with her hand.   
  
"I've had it." Jondy declared. She had since stood up from the couch to greet   
Charlie. "Incoming Zack." she leapt over the couch.   
  
"Damn, watch that little sister." Zack demanded, as she propelled her head   
in his lap. "You gained weight or something?"   
  
Jondy rolled her eyes "Muscle weighs more then fat bro." she paused, getting   
comfortable. "And I'm not the only thing that's "little" around here." she   
was razzing him like any good little sister would. But, in actuality since   
Manticore had no separate sex anything; she had seen all her brothers, Zack's   
feet weren't the only things that were big.   
  
"So much of a big head for such a small solider." Zack informed.   
  
"So much of a big solider for such a small head." Jondy threw back.   
  
"Jondy, you're an idiot." Zack tugged at her brown curls.   
  
"Hand's of the hair C.O." Jondy warned, pulling back the locks he was messing   
with.   
  
"Gotta remember Zack, her most valuable asset is longer then yours." Syl   
gave a coy smile.   
  
"Now I know where coming up "short" came from." Tinga threw in, tipping   
her head down, while Charlie rubbed her shoulder blades.   
  
Max, despite herself started to laugh lightly at the way all her sisters   
debated the contents of Zack's "package"   
  
"And WE have an odd banter flow?" Logan whispered in her ear, remembering what   
Richard said at his wedding.   
  
"You're cutting off my blood flow." Zack complained to his sister "Ease up   
a little, arteries need to breath."   
  
"Not like I'm hurting anything impor-"   
  
"Shut up and move girl." Zack ordered.   
  
Jondy giggled and scooted over, laying more on his leg then anything   
else.   
  
Zack fingers were back in her hair "Okay if I do it like this Jonnie D?"   
he used her childhood nickname, stroking her brown locks this time.   
  
"That's fine Zack." Jondy replied, "Yank it again, and your a dead man."   
  
Lexi had woken up from her nap hungry, so Max had retrieved her, and   
settled back down into Logan's lap. She raised her sweater and unhooked   
her bra to nurse her.   
  
"Don't look Zack, think un-incestial thoughts." Jondy tried to cover his   
eyes with her hands.   
  
"Jonnie D, don't be a tight ass." Zack pulled her hands away from his eyes.   
  
Logan pulled his wife against his chest, wrapping his arms around her, watching   
with his chin on her shoulder at Lexi nursing.   
  
"Those guys better not be hurting them anymore then necessary." Tinga's words   
were fierce. "Especially since we can't be in there, damn regulations."   
  
"They are such a bitch." Max agreed. She looked down at her daughter, judging   
by the easing suction on her nipple, she was almost finished eating. "This reminds   
me so much of after Valerie." she became angry "Why does this kinda crap have to   
happen to Jess all the time? A C-section birth one month early because of my   
seizures. Being kidnapped and almost killed at two months by that heartless bitch,   
and now this newest one. Why him? Why us?"   
  
"Don't ask questions you can't answer baby sister." Syl gently reprimanded.   
  
"She's right angel." Logan agreed. "It'll just make you go crazy."   
  
"Think I'm already there." Max re-clasped her bra, and shoved her sweater back   
down.   
  
"Me too." Tinga agreed, she looked over at Charlie "I'd better be able to see him   
soon."   
  
"You and me both." Charlie agreed hugging her.   
  
*****   
  
The clock ticked on relentlessly. Fifteen minutes seemed like a life time.   
Max would look up at the slightest sound, a creak in the floor, a bathroom   
door being opened. She fought her natural instinct to pace, not wanting to   
leave the comfort of Logan's warmth.   
  
Jondy now sat up cross-legged on the couch, an open copy of Scientific American   
in her lap, but she wasn't really paying attention to it. Syl fidgeted in the   
seat beside her.   
  
Tinga was in a state of constant readiness, to stand the minute a doctor entered   
the room.   
  
Zack's prowling urge became too strong, and he wandered up the length of the   
hall. On one of his go around he stopped to help Asha, who was having trouble   
getting a soda out of a vending machine standing against the white wall.   
  
One solid bang from Zack's hand, and the machine dropped the can faster the gravity   
could pull it down.   
  
"Thanks." Asha popped the top off and downed it like it was whiskey.   
  
"You're a "friend" to Logan?" Zack led into a conversation.   
  
"Mr. Subtle." Asha threw out, hearing the over emphasis of the word "friend."   
"Truth is I don't really know what we were. Not really lovers, but not platonic   
either."   
  
"Is that why you left the picture, and reappeared years later?"   
  
"It's the big brother thing isn't it?" Asha heard the growl in Zack's tone   
"Don't want me moving in on territory that your little sister's already claimed."   
  
"Got it all figured out don't you?" Zack went for cocky.   
  
"If you don't like Logan, why are you getting all defensive?" Asha asked sipping   
her drink.   
  
"Never said I hated the guy." Zack objected, "It's just certain things-"   
  
"Like him and Max." Asha finished.   
  
"I love Maxie." Zack stated fiercely "I'd die for her, and if this makes her   
happy, I can deal with it." he continued on his pacing journey.   
  
"You care what kind?" Max's voice asked over her shoulder.   
  
"Nothing diet." Syl answered back.   
  
Max nodded and headed over to the vending machine.   
  
"How you holding up?" Asha tried to start conversation with the other woman.   
  
"Considering the circumstances." she banged her fist against the machine and   
it dropped a Dr. Pepper "Fine."   
  
"Heads up girl." Max warned to Syl "The doctor's in." she threw the can at   
her sister, which she caught.   
  
"Your ring's nice." Asha noted, seeing the silver catch the bright ER lights.   
"Logan ordered special?"   
  
"Thanks." Max looked down at the purple jade band on her finger "Was originally   
my engagement ring, but decided to double, didn't want a plain gold band."   
  
Asha smiled slightly at this "Don't like gold much myself." she lifted up part   
of her pullover, revealing the Cult in a black leather shoulder holster "silver's   
more my style."   
  
"You're packing in a hospital?" Max raised an eyebrow.   
  
"Can't ever be too careful." Asha returned. "Seattle doesn't exactly double   
as Disney World."   
  
"Never went." Max commented randomly. "Usually spent my Saturdays at the target   
range with my brothers."   
  
"More like him?" Asha nodded over to Zack.   
  
A ghostlike smile formed on Max's lips "Others are less arrogant."   
  
"Target practice huh?" Asha changed the subject. "Nice. I luv my boys."   
she patted her gun "'Sides Disney's gone down hill ever since those   
Animatrons were programmed by a sting outfit to handle magnum firepower   
in 2015. Seventeen tourists were gunned down in the twelve o'clock parade.   
Not a good place anymore to bring your kid-" she stopped, when she   
remembered where she was. "Sorry, bad topic."   
  
Max just turned to look again at the ER door. She tunneled her vision,   
and could see the doctors working on Jess. She undialted her pupils, not   
wanting to watch it again. She needed something to vent her anger and   
frustration. "Tactical maneuvars #3"   
  
Zack stopped his pacing and looked at her "What?"   
  
"You heard me!" she snarled back.   
  
"Here?" Zack was still a little surprised at her request.   
  
"Yes dammit!" Max shot back "I need a release, and pacing doesn't   
work for me"   
  
"Why don't you mediate?" Zack suggested   
  
"You gonna get your head wrapped around this bitch solider, or do I have   
to make you?"   
  
Zack looked at her hard "Okay." he finally agreed. He pinned her arms behind her   
back like they had been taught in the exercise "Bring it on Maxie."   
  
Max 'broke wood' with his elbow, breaking one arm free. Zack was ready for that   
though and re-pinned the freed arm on her stomach.   
  
"Seems like you bombed solider." he taunted in her ear. It was all part of the   
exercise, the tone of voice strengthened the "height" of the attack.   
  
Max snarled viciously at him, flashing back to the countless time she'd done this,   
with Ben, Jack, Krit, Zane. She seesawed her arms, effectively reversing Zack's   
position and shoved him into the nearest wall. Lightning quick movements had   
both his arms behind his back in a matter of seconds "Think again."   
  
Neither of them noticed a security guard approaching them. One that someone   
had called, believing a fight to be breaking out "There a problem here?"   
  
"It's fine." Max stated, pushing Zack a little further into the wall "Call it"   
  
"Match." Zack stated, and Max released his arms.   
  
He faced her again "It's good Maxie, transitions were smooth." he held out his   
hand, in the tradition after a match, to show there was no 'better' they were   
all the same.   
  
Max took it, crossing it to her chest with her arm, and back to his, brother   
and sister, solider to solider. They released and lowered each other's hands   
with precise and simultaneous movements.   
  
The security guard left without a word, more then confused about what was   
happening.   
  
"I'm looking for Tinga Smith, and Max and Logan Cale?"   
  
At the sound of her name, Max quickly side stepped Zack, jogging back to the   
waiting area. She rounded the corner, and saw a doctor in a lab coat and green   
scrubs. "What's the dealio with my son?"   
  
"I presume your either Tinga or-"   
  
"I'm Max." Max broke in before he finished "She's Tinga." she looked over   
at her sister "That's Charlie, her husband." she pointed to Logan "That's   
Logan MY husband, and THOSE are our boys, so can you skip the meet and greet   
and tell us how the hell our children are?"   
  
"The boys are okay Mrs. Cale" the doctor reassured "Case had to have   
three stitches for a laceration in his leg, he's got a few bruises and   
some smaller cuts, a split lip, but nothing major. Jesse needed five   
stitches for an elbow laceration, he's got some bruises as well, and a   
few butterfly bandages on some other cuts, but he's also not critical.   
Overall, they both were damn lucky."   
  
"Luck sorta run's in the family." Jondy pointed out, relief evident in her   
voice.   
  
The doctor looked at her, slightly confused "And you are?"   
  
"The family." Syl answered back.   
  
"My sibs." Max clarified more. "I want to see him."   
  
"Goes for me too." Tinga added fiercely.   
  
*****   
  
ER 2   
  
"Daddy." Case smiled widely at the sight of Charlie entering the room.   
  
"Hey buddy." Charlie approached him, kissing him on the head "How are   
you feeling?"   
  
Case didn't even pause to take stock of himself like most adults "It   
hurts on my leg and arms."   
  
"I'm sorry baby." Tinga sympathized, stroking his forehead "But the doctors   
said its not bad, you can go home tonight."   
  
Case reached out with one hand, touching Tinga's face. Tinga held it there   
with her own.   
  
Charlie looked across the glass to ER 1. "Zack just chanced upon you guys?"   
he observed the older brother in the other ER with Jesse.   
  
Tinga looked in the other ER at Zack standing above Jesse. "Yeah, he helped   
get Case out." she drove her point home, hearing the slight antsy-ness in   
Charlie's voice about Zack. She didn't call him X5-599 anymore, but he was   
still family "He is my brother Charlie."   
  
Charlie analyzed the look his wife was giving him. Sometimes it was hard to   
believe all the things his wife Tinga (not Penny) and her seemingly endless   
batch of siblings were capable of. But, he realized more importantly what she   
and the others went through as kids was far worse then anything they could do.   
"You're right babe." he stated "I'm sorry." he touched her shoulder.   
  
Tinga touched his hand where it rested on her body.   
  
*****   
  
ER 2   
  
"Daddee gone?"   
  
"He just went to get something sweetie." Max reassured "He's coming back."   
  
Zack stepped closer to the little boy "What, you don't like being with 'unky'?"   
he used the word Jess always called him.   
  
"Likee unky." Jess answered back.   
  
Zack cracked a smile "That's better." he rubbed his nephews stomach.   
  
Jesse managed a small laugh, he looked to Max "Lexi here mommee?"   
  
"Yeah baby." Max stated "Right" she lifted the infant in her arms "here"   
she stepped closer, moving Lexi in Jesse's line of sight.   
  
"Hi dister." Jess smiled, mispronouncing the word "sister."   
  
Lexi drooled slightly "She say's high back." Max told him, holding the baby   
close to Jesse's face "Give Jess a kiss babe."   
  
"To little." Jesse pointed out, already showing signs of his genetically enhanced   
roots. He was aware of the fact Alexis was to small to kiss anyone yet. "Kissee   
her instead." he kissed the baby on the nose "for both."   
  
"That was sweet honey." Max stated. She bent down near his face "Now how's about   
a kiss for momma?"   
  
Jesse planted a big wet kiss on her mouth. "Mommee good kisser."   
  
Max smiled "Daddy thinks so too."   
  
Jess made a face, and covered his face with his hands as best he could   
with them bandaged, shaking his head back and forth at the idea.   
  
"Eww huh?" Max stated with a laugh.   
  
"Smart kid." Zack pointed out "Already know's about phony sentimentality."   
  
Max shot him an unreadable at him "Guess it got me in to trouble again huh   
commander?"   
  
Zack looked at her then, remembering all the times he told her, all of them   
about the sentimental lie. The happy ever now, not ever after. They were soldiers,   
a family life wasn't in the cards. /All those times, in the fertility lab..too   
many fuckin' times to count./ Numerous sperm "donations" to X7's, X2's. He was   
one of Manticore's prized stallions. /"You are special 599." the lab doctor told   
him as they collected what they wanted as he was strapped to the exam table.   
"Think of what can come of this." he held up the vile of his sperm, floating in   
seamen. "How strong of a warrior race will start with you."/ After each time   
he was sent on his way, not knowing which X class females at Manticore would   
be fertilized. It was good not to know. The X2's were just used as guards and   
watchers, X7's were being brought up to be soulless.   
  
But the day, THAT day, when it became the X5's.. The door to the "Fertilization   
Room" was open. Four new girls were being brought in. /No..Brin, why her? Jesse,   
Jondy, damn who else..Maxie? oh god no../ He watched them, they weren't unaware   
of what was happening, there eyes gave it away. He stood outside the door, no one   
noticed, no one questioned. It was early; he could've simply been a X2 on sentry   
duty. He heard the doctors giving out orders, "Lie down, undress, sit still solider   
this will hurt more if you move." Maxie..sweet baby Maxie, mewed like a kitten being   
clawed at by a dog. The doctors left, not noticing Zack.   
  
An MP stood guard, until an escort could take the newly "fertilized" X5's back   
to combat training. They never knew whose it was, whose genes they had. Jondy   
comforted Max /"It's okay Maxie, don't cry. We'll go back to training, and you   
can beat Zane in the nuts, he won't mind..he won't know what hit him..don't cry   
Maxie."/   
  
He watched her down the pills, she didn't know that he had been ordered to pick   
up a package in the sergeant's room. Noises came, he was curious. She read an   
aspirin bottle intently. He sat motionless in the closet, soot from Jesse's   
"grave" on his boots. She swallowed ten pills, fifteen, he lost count. She   
seized and fell../"Maxie!"/ he wanted to go to her, but feared exposing him,   
and her. She didn't stop seizing for a long time. Blood pooled from her, and   
something else. /"I'm sorry little sister, You never knew it's was mine. It's   
better this way. It won't happen again, not another repeat of tonight. I didn't   
want this, for any of you. You deserved better then to carry the incestial,   
bastard child of your brother in a place like this, it's better this way./   
This was where the "lie" was created, for Zack. How can a child be created in   
love, when there are people who can take the love between brother and sister   
and twist it into something ugly?   
  
"Didn't mean it like this." he was actually being honest, looking at the kids.   
Max's children, his Maxie. Products of her own womb that lived. He took Lexi   
from her without a word. She fit so well in his arms, tucked up against his   
chest.   
  
Max actually smiled "You're good at that bro."   
  
Zack didn't comment, playing with his niece's fingers. He watched Max pick up   
Jess and settle him into her lap. She rocked him back and forth, ruffling his   
hair.   
  
"Sing mommee.." Jess snuggled closer.   
  
Zack look slightly amused "You sing?" his voice was all teasing.   
  
Max flicked him off, resting her head on Jess's head "Yeah, learned it   
somewhere or other between riflery and gene splicing labs." she kissed   
her son, an began to softly sing.   
  
"Close your eyes, have no fear, the monster's gone. He's on the run and   
your mommy's here, Beautiful, Beautiful Beautiful Boy, Beautiful, Beautiful   
Beautiful Boy.."   
  
Zack recognized the song. Lennon's piece about his son, Zane blasted it   
out of his 180-bit system in the back of his Hummer. Between that,   
Slip Knot, and Metalica's "Master of Puppets", Zack always went away   
from Zane's cinderblocked supported trailer with the same thirty   
songs stuck in his hyped up brain from his brother's repeated playings.   
Max had changed some words around, the song actually stated "and your   
DADDY'S here" daddy pertaining to Lennon, but it was a necessary change.   
"You're better at it then me." he corrected her earlier remark. "I'm   
just the special OP."   
  
"Special OP?" Max looked amused "Like a drop by once in a while to   
tell your sis. how big the babies are getting, and leave before their   
necessary food intake, and splatter problems?"   
  
"Pretty much." Zack returned. He stepped closer to her. Lexi was now   
asleep against his body. Zack looked down at her "She's beautiful Maxie.   
Didn't get to tell you that when you dropped her."   
  
Max rolled her eyes at Zack's choice of words. "I'll excuse your crude   
use of the word "drop" because of the compliment." she stroked her daughter,   
asleep in the arms of a man who had snapped necks, and severed tibia's with   
what she was now cradled in. "You should really think about-"   
  
"Planning my life solider?" Zack stated, half cocky, half serious "Sides   
I'm not the 9 to 5 daddy material, unless daddy could shoot down black   
helicopters every day, an play with magnum fire power." he looked at the   
baby again. "Wonder if he would've looked like you did as a baby." He   
remembered peering into the nursery, at the new X5 infants, hooked to   
monitors by electrodes. His eyes settled on the bar coded name tag of one-   
designation X5-452, another one like him.   
  
"Most likely would've been smaller." Max stated. She'd seen the holding   
containers for nine-month-old babies that were the products of other   
X group interconceptions.   
  
"Would've been a kicker." Zack stated indifferently.   
  
"Why are you telling me this?" Max began to get angry. "It died before I   
even knew it was a "he""   
  
"It was MINE too Maxie!" Zack was getting mad as well. "Ours."   
  
"It was incest!" she snapped back. She remembered after Zack had told   
her. He had found her a week after the escape and told her what had happened.   
She threw up for almost an hour, and cried for days. She had been used, seeded   
with her own brother's sperm. She had carried her brother's baby. "I was fuckin'   
NINE Zack!" she lowered her voice when she succeeded in scaring Jess "And you were   
what? 12? Yeah, it was ours, Zack and Maxie's, an incest spawned, bastard baby."   
  
Her words were angry and hard "I know that Maxie." Zack growled, "I saw you   
that day with Jondy and the others. I tried to castrate myself with Zane's   
issued bayonet to keep it from happening again. After I was told that I   
had been a "success" by that doctor, I got as close as two centimeters into   
my shaft."   
  
Max cringed at the thought "You almost sawed your wang off out of guilt?"   
  
"YES!" Zack barked, frustrated. "Deck found out though, and had me "re-built"   
"Got to play daddy a few hundred more times. You wouldn't believe how many   
interbreeds bore the ending sequence 599" (-Mystic25 cut's in: I've made it so   
designation sequence of numbers in baby's conceived by interbreeding X partners   
first had a double X to signify they were interbreeds. Next their X class number,   
determined by the father, then their mother's X class number, and finally the   
combination of both their mother's and father's designation's ending digits.   
For example Zack's (X5-599) child with an X7 designation 243 would've been:   
XX5-7243599. The father's number is at the end, to trace the sperm connection.   
Just a tid bit of info..now on with the story.)   
  
Max didn't know what to say. Nothing could erase what Zack had been forced to   
do, what she had been forced to do. "Do you hate me for-"   
  
"No!" he answered immediately. "I love you Maxie. I know you love Logan, but   
you were my girl long before he cared for you, before that ring was put on   
your hand, before you brought his children into the world." he sat down   
beside her and Jess. "You and me were a team." he looked over at Jess "when   
you were like that. I'd take you up on the tower some nights, point out   
Devil's rock and constellations."   
  
"I remember." Max stated "You-" she smiled "You said that one bright star   
would be what's left Deck's nuts after you blew'em off, "The Big Snipper"   
/The wind rustling around them, as a five yeahr old Max sat close to an eight   
yeahr old Zack "That's the north star. If you get lost, that's what to look out   
for. Even the signal indicator isn't as reliable." "Show me more Zack!"   
Max grew with anticipation to stick it to smart mouth Zane the next day.   
They stayed out there all night./   
  
"I can't hate you Maxie." Zack informed "What you did-" he searched for   
words "What I mean is I am not female, I don't know the real burden of   
procreation. You had to live and feel what they did to you every day, and   
see all that could happen-" he trailed off briefly, remembering Jesse being   
given Pitocin to stimulate contractions. Seeing her scream and cry, because   
she was only ten and a half and four months pregnant, about to deliver   
five months early. Then seeing her being cut open in a C-Section, one that   
didn't save her or the baby, didn't help another child created by their CO.   
"I can't hate you without enough knowledge baby sister. I could never hate you."   
  
"I was scared." Max answered truthfully "After watching Jess-" she looked   
at her son, and lowered her voice "after the assembly. I thought, since   
my seizures, he would be defective. I kept remembering the nomalies" she   
shuddered. "I didn't want to create something faulty that would kill me   
later. The next day after Jondy told me she didn't think she had "it" anymore   
because of the bloody sheets, I lost it, I went to the sergeant's quarters.   
Sometimes I wonder what he would've looked like."   
  
Zack shrugged, again looking over at Jess "like that one, maybe with   
my eyes, considering the gene splicing, probably your hair color. Can't   
say really, but since he would have been yours, he would be a sight."   
  
"What do I tell them?" Max looked at her kids "Him especially." she shifted   
Jess closer to her. "He deserves the truth. But how will he look at me   
and not call me a whore, a tramp who slept with her brother, and named him   
after his half brother AND cousin? A freak kid?"   
  
"You tell him the truth." Logan's voice cut in, he had come back.   
  
Jess woke up and looked at Logan "Daddee.." he reached out his arms.   
  
Logan walked over and picked him up. "Hey boy." he kiss him on the head,   
settling him into his lap. "Boo boo's better?"   
  
"Almost." Jess was so honest for two years old.   
  
"That I'm a slut?" Max shot back.   
  
"First of all." Logan corrected "You and Zack didn't SLEEP together, you   
were manipulated and experimented on. That doesn't make you a slut.   
Your son, he deserves to have his memory honored." he spoke calmly for   
a man who's wife had carried her brother's baby, but it was all about   
the circumstances.   
  
"Logan's right" Zack stated suddenly "It's not like we could have said "no""   
  
"Back that bitch up." Max stated, dumbstruck.   
  
"We couldn't have-" Zack began again.   
  
"No." Max interrupted "Logan's right. I think Manticore is building an   
ice skating rink because of all the snow that suddenly hit."   
  
"Shut up okay Maxie?" Zack kissed her, handing her back the baby.   
  
"Isn't this phony sentimentality?" Max cocked an eyebrow at him.   
  
"Manticorian Slip." Zack replied, replacing the word "Freud" with "Manticore"   
"A guy has a right to kiss his sister." he climbed off the ER bed.   
  
"Zack?" The connecting door opened, Asha's form behind it "Your sister   
wants you."   
  
Tinga side stepped Asha "Case wants you to "number sequence" test him."   
she informed.   
  
"I have some issues as well Zack." Syl stood beside Tinga "About Maxie's   
remark of you making hell freeze over."   
  
"You disrespecting your CO?" Zack's voice was back to cocky and teasing.   
  
"Our second in command is giving me the go ahead." Syl stated at   
Max's smile behind Zack's back.   
  
Zack turned to face Max "I swear there's no stability in squadrons   
anymore."   
  
"Blame it on the CO." Jondy called out in the other room.   
  
"Kiss my genetic cocktail Jonnie D!" Zack barked out.   
  
"BAM!" Jondy exclaimed "I gotta call Krit.." she dialed her brother's number   
on her secure cell. "Hey Cat Man" she called out when he picked up "Pay up the   
ca-chings, Zack said the genetic cocktail burn. Nope, hell's still hot down there"   
  
"I'm heading back in." Tinga tried not to keep the amusement out of her voice   
"Kiss Jess for me baby sister."   
  
"You got it." Max answered.   
  
"That's a nice Cult." Zack admired Asha's gun in the holster, as he headed through the   
connecting door.   
  
"Thanks." Asha loved comments about her boys.   
  
"Is that tempered steel?" Zack asked   
  
She shook her head "Titanium." the door closed.   
  
Max turned to Logan after Zack left "Is it just me or.."   
  
"I see it." Logan agreed, "Who'd a thought Zack could be taken down a notch?"   
he smiled "But Asha's that kinda girl."   
  
"Guess her coming was good for something." she noted, shifting Lexi closer   
to her.   
  
"No ass kicking for bringing her?" Logan asked   
  
Max shook her head "Too tired now, maybe later. She yawned and laid her head down on   
his shoulder "Honey?"   
  
"Hmm?" he wrapped his arm around her, kissing her mouth, then her forehead.   
  
"Thank you."   
  
He was confused "For what?" he rubbed her back gently.   
  
"Not hating me for what I did."   
  
"I could never hate you baby." he argued "It isn't your fault that Manticore   
is twisted and wanted to make everything a "family affair." You didn't asked to   
have those things done."   
  
She smiled at his choice of words. It was getting late.They needed to pack up Jess   
and Lexi soon, say their goodbyes and head home. No doubt Normal found out about   
Tinga's Tracker's 55-volt shock security system on the door handles. Probably welded   
his glasses to his face trying to have it towed. But right now she had her husband,   
her kids, her sibs, including her comrade in arms brother who loved her more   
then she had known. Maybe Asha'd be the one to put a kid seat in his Vulcan-   
nahh..Zack's not ready to conform, and all of Asha's kids are already named   
"something calbuar."   
  
But right now she wasn't worried about that. Her son was fine, her brother had   
"something", Jondy was calling Krit "Cat Man" via cell..it was all good.   
  
*****   
  
End   
  
My Zack/Asha thing sorta happened..might do something with it, might not. I just   
wanted to see Zack gettin' interested in someone. I wanted to dig into Zack's   
mind when he had to "fertilize" his sisters..i.e That's why I made him get so   
pissed off at Jondy when she sang "Sittin' in a Tree." I mean Zack/Max isn't   
something I do..but he DOES love her, she loves him..just not the way she   
loves Logan. For those of you who've seen "Radar Love" I wrote this before   
that ep. I tried to make Asha somewhat civil. Still though, all of Max and Logan's   
kissing sceens in front of her will probably satisfy everyone who wanted   
to diesmbowl the woman at the end of 9:00 Friday night.   
The ending scene is dedicated to the that latest TV Guide article of Jessica Alba   
and Michale Weatherly. I quote "..she calls him "honey" and lays her head down on   
his shoulder, and he rubs her back and kisses her tenderly on the forehead."   
I thought it was sweet. The song Max sang to Jess is called "Beautiful Boy(Darling Boy)"   
by John Lennon, it's a great piece. I know this one is long, but I like long..hope you   
all did too.


End file.
